1. Field of the Invention
Generally, this invention is directed towards removing and storage of automobile lug nuts in an easy and quick fashion. More specifically, this invention relates to a socket tool having an elongated cavity for storage and a unique mechanism for removal of automobile lug nuts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the problems noticed when changing a flat tire is the loss of automobile lug nuts during the process. These automobile lug nuts seem to have the unique ability to find the remotest location to hide from the person changing the tire. Much time and effort can be lost simply trying to find the lug nuts that have been accidently kicked around and lost.
Another problem notice when removing a flat or spare tire from an automobile is the inconvenient position the bottom lug nut tends to become. Lug wrenches need to be substantially long in order to give a person leverage to remove the tight lug nuts on automobiles. The lengthy lug wrenches tend to hit the ground when rotated while removing the lug nuts and thus need to be removed and reinserted onto the lug nuts at different angles to continue. This problem tends to happen frequently for the lug nuts in close proximity to the ground or bottom of the tire rim. This process is lengthy and time consuming especially for people not mechanically inclined.
Several approaches have been provided for the removal of lug nuts, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,609, "A socket wrench comprises a socket head having an opening for slidably receiving a nut and flange disposed at an opposite end of the opening and extending inwardly into the opening; a pipe having one end secured to the socket head; and a driver receptor secured to the other end of the pipe. The flange includes a central opening that is smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe and that communicates with the interior of the pipe, thereby permitting an end portion of a long bolt to extend into the interior of the pipe when a nut is screwed down along the bolt."
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,819, "A socket wrench has a rotatable cylindrical body with an elongated interior channel for storing a plurality of nuts. The channel has a nut opening at a first end for receiving and removing nuts from the channel. A longitudinally slidably and axially rotatable roller grip assembly is provided on the exterior of the body. The roller grip assembly is attached to an interior backplate that moves longitudinally within the body channel. the roller grip assembly allows an operator both to urge the stored nuts toward the nut opening of the wrench, eject the nuts from the chamber, and to hold the wrench while the body is rotating."
In the art taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,883, "A nut retaining socket wrench device includes a tubular body member having a tool receiving socket at its proximate end and a nut engaging socket at its distal end. An axially movable plunger is coaxially supported within the body member and carries at its distal end a frustoconical resilient plastic plug for releasably engaging the bore of a nut engaged by the distal socket. The plunger is spring biased to position the plug proximate the outer end of the distal socket and is urged inwardly when a nut is tightened on a bolt by the end of the bolt."
While some of the prior art may contain some similarities relating to the present invention, none of them teach, suggest or include all of the advantages and unique features of a socket wrench for quickly removing and storing automobile lug nuts as the invention disclosed herein.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for device that can easily remove lower lug nuts and store them in an easy and fashion.